Certification supports your Client.
Membership Supports YOU!
AFCPE® Membership is the intersection of financial education, research & practice. Membership brings together professionals from a variety of financial fields, creating a strong network of knowledge and delivering professional development, resources, and benefits that positively impact your work and enhance your career. It’s also a great resource to you as you work toward your AFC® certification!
Your Membership Option
- AFCPE Candidate Membership – $115 a year (less than $10 a month).
View all membership categories >
Have questions about membership? Join us for Membership Office hours.
How Membership Supports AFC® Candidates
Earn Experience Hours!
AFCPE Membership gives you access to exclusive professional development content, so you can be confident that your expertise is relevant and up-to-date. Partnering with experts in the field, these webinars provide you with new knowledge and skills to use in research, education, and practice!
All AFCPE-sponsored webinars (both live and on-demand) are FREE to AFCPE members or $50 each for non-members. This is a savings of $600 a year!
Professional development webinars are pre-approved for Experience Hours for AFC Candidates. Candidates can earn up to 10% of their experience hours under the ‘Related Webinars’ category. FINRA Foundation Fellows please review the Experience Hour Guide for separate reporting guidelines.
Each month, members are invited to a free professional development webinar hosted in partnership with the Financial Planning Association’s learning platform, FPA Connect. All topics are selected to enhance the skills of financial professionals and are exclusive only to AFCPE Members, making this a priceless member benefit.
All FPA Connect Webinars are preapproved for Experience Hours. Candidates can earn up to 10% of their experience hours under the ‘Related Webinars’ category. FINRA Foundation Fellows please review the Experience Hour Guide for separate reporting guidelines.
Members receive a special discount to attend the Annual AFCPE® Symposium and there are so many great reasons to attend:
- To Learn: Gain valuable knowledge and resources to better support your clients, students, and communities. Symposium is pre-approved for 15 experience hours.
- To Connect: Share new perspectives, exchange best practices, and expand your network.
- To Grow: Hear from industry experts on the newest research in personal finance and learn how to apply these findings to your work.
Symposium isn’t just a professional development event, it’s an experience. Experience the magic of the Symposium while easily earning experience hours.
AFCPE Symposium falls under the ‘Related Training, Certification or License, and Conferences’ Category. Candidates can earn a max of 10% of their experience hours in this category.
As an AFCPE Member, you receive exclusive access to the Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning (JFCP) Journal Quizzes for free (a $150 annual subscription). Members receive exclusive access to the JFCP Journal Quiz with each issue. Each journal quiz is 12 questions long and the content is based on research findings for that specific issue.
AFC Candidates can earn 2 experience hours for each quiz they passed. Upon completion, professionals will receive a certificate that they can easily upload to their Certification dashboard to claim those hours.
Journal quizzes fall under the ‘Related Training, Certification or License, and Conferences’ Category. Candidates can earn a max of 10% of their experience hours in this category. FINRA Foundation Fellows please review the Experience Hour Guide for separate reporting guidelines.
AFCPE Members can submit educational content to be featured in both the AFCPE Blog and The Standard – AFCPE’s quarterly newsletter.
AFCPE’s blog is designed to provide new and insightful personal finance information for both professionals and consumers. Here are two options for earning experience hours:
- Consumer-focused blogs: An article answering a common question or addressing a common concern among consumers.
- Heritage Month blogs: A blog post geared towards working with or understanding a particular community during one of AFCPE’s Heritage Month campaigns.
The Standard Newsletter
AFCPE’s quarterly newsletter, publishes articles on all aspects of financial counseling, including research and practical application. The Standard is published quarterly in the months of January, April, July, and October. Here are two options for earning experience hours:
- Book reviews: A review of a personal finance book or topic that is helpful for practitioners in their day-to-day business.
- Articles on Military, Extension, or Practitioner issues: Topics include, but are not limited to working with clients; crisis counseling; budgeting; debt management; repairing a credit report; credit management; getting back on your feet; taxes; saving and investing; starting over; and motivating clients.
Every summer, AFCPE looks to its Membership to assist with reviewing presentation proposals for our annual Symposium.
AFC Candidates can earn up to 2 experience hours per submission reviewed while also strengthening the Symposium program, supporting other members of the community, and gaining exposure to the insights, ideas, and impact of their peers.
Find your professional home!
As an AFCPE Member, your membership contains exclusive access to the AFCPE Member Exchange. This interactive message board allows you to find and connect with other members from across the country around different topics and issues that are important to you. This is a great resource for Candidates looking to make connections with other AFCs and professionals in the field.
You can network, share resources and best practices, discuss industry trends, and convene with AFCPE’s Membership base on one platform, either online or on your phone so that you can stay connected no matter where you are!
Launching February 2023!
The perfect place to find your people
Each month, AFCPE members meet up virtually to learn and share new ideas. Meet-ups allow you to expand your knowledge while engaging with other AFCPE members from across the country. Meetups are member-led, with topics selected by members, for members!
All sessions are available live and on-demand, exclusively for AFCPE Members.
Each month, AFCPE hosts Practitioners Unite! – a fun, relaxed way to get to know, and learn from, fellow AFCPE members. Members come together to share best practices, resources, client stories, and much more.
Conversations are member-led and topics are suggested by the membership.
AFCPE membership provides you with a platform to help advance the field and create a lasting impact. There are 11 task forces with opportunities for leadership and involvement. We invite you to take a look at the list below and become more involved with the organization!
| Awards | Government Relations |
| Investment | Member Services |
| Finance | Diversity & Inclusion |
| Symposium | Career Development |
| Newsletter | Research to Practice |
| Student | Learn more today! > |
Research that informs practice!
AFCPE Members receive free access to our esteemed research journal (a $150 a year value!).
The JFCP is a peer-reviewed journal published three times a year by the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education®. The journal’s mission is to disseminate scholarly research related to the financial decision-making of individuals and families; financial education and financial counseling techniques; and the education of professional financial educators, counselors, and planners. Readers expect to find detailed recommendations for education and practice in journal articles. JFCP also publishes book reviews.
AFC Members also receive exclusive access to the JFCP Journal Quizzes. Candidates can earn 2 experience hours for each quiz they passed Journal quizzes fall under the ‘Related Training, Certification or License, and Conferences’ category (max of 10% of their hours).
Get published!
AFCPE’s quarterly newsletter, The Standard, provides you with articles on all aspects of financial counseling, including research and practical application that is timely, thought-provoking, and helps you do your job better.
We rely solely on articles contributed by staff, AFCPE members, and experts in the field. Membership provides an easy pathway for professionals to showcase their expertise and get published. The Standard is published quarterly in the months of January, April, July, and October.
This is a great opportunity for AFC Candidates to create educational content that will earn them experience hours towards their AFC.
Each month, you’ll receive a monthly e-blast full of useful information on what’s happening in the organization, in the field, and among fellow AFCPE members.
The e-blast is a great opportunity to highlight the work you are doing and to share it with professionals across the field! We love to highlight your work – let us know what you are up to!
Career Development & Growth!
AFCPE Members are invited to attend our annual Career Week + Job Fair! This is a great opportunity for members to connect with employment and volunteer opportunities, expand their network, and gain new skills to make themselves more marketable in the field.
This is a great resource for AFC Candidates looking for employment or volunteer opportunities that will assist them with earning experience hours.
The MentorConnect program, an exclusive benefit for AFCPE Members, is an informal mentorship program designed to enhance your professional career. We believe that mentorship is foundational to a professional’s development and growth.
For AFC Candidates, the MentorConnect program offers the opportunity to connect with a Mentor to gain insight and guidance. Our mentors can provide guidance on getting into the field, obtaining your AFC, or being a great resource/accountability buddy while you study for your exam.
For more seasoned professionals, being a Mentor is a great way to share your knowledge and experience with future leaders in our industry. Learn More >
The Experience Portal, an exclusive member benefit, is a place for AFCPE Members to find new opportunities to utilize their unique skills, expertise, and passion to elevate the mission and vision of our organization. Updated regularly, members can find volunteer and internship opportunities with organizations looking for qualified professionals!
It’s also a great place for AFC® Candidates to find pre-approved Experience Hour Opportunities.
Looking for volunteers?
Anyone can post an opportunity on the Experience Portal. A 30-day listing is $20, or free for AFCPE Members. All opportunities are reviewed to determine if they will qualify for Experience Hours towards the AFC. As an AFC professional, this is a great way to create opportunities for AFC Candidates to earn hours while also getting the help you need! Learn more >
Looking for employment? Check out the AFCPE Job Board! Job listings are all related to the field making it easy for you to keep a pulse on potential opportunities. AFCPE members searching for jobs can upload their resume for free!
Are you hiring?
List your open position on the AFCPE® Career Center! Depending on what you are looking for, there are different packages to meet your hiring needs. AFCPE Members receive a 50% discount on all available packages.
Award Recognition & Grant Funding!
Members are invited annually to apply for one of our member awards – a great opportunity to bring awareness and recognition to your work, your program or your organization.
Award winners are recognized through a national press release, honored at the Annual Symposium, and receive an awards seal to continue to bring recognition to their accomplishments.
Open to all AFCPE Members. Many awards include a monetary prize.
The Mary O’Neill Mini Grant is an annual grant opportunity open to AFCPE Members only. This $3,500 grant is provided for the development and implementation of an innovative, high-impact financial education project.
Dr. Barbara O’Neill, an AFCPE member and Past President of AFCPE, has made a generous restricted donation in honor of her late mother, Mary O’Neill, a financially capable woman.
Discounts on tools, resources, education, and more!
Members can also:
AFCPE Members receive a 10% discount on all Essentials Courses. Essentials Courses are online and self-paced to meet you where you are – giving you the tools and resources to make a lasting impact in the lives of those you serve:
Money Management Essentials
College Finance Essentials
Military Essentials
Financial Inclusion Essentials
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Essentials
Learn more about our Essentials courses! >
Note: Offer may not be combined with any other sale, promotion, discount, code, coupon and/or offer.
Did you know? AFCPE Essentials courses* are pre-approved for 5 experience hours towards the AFC? Essentials courses fall under the ‘Related Training, Certification or License, and Conferences’ Category. Candidates can earn a max of 10% of their experience hours in this category.
*Excludes Money Management Essentials
Thinking about obtaining your AFC? Already an AFC Candidate but still need to take the exam? AFCPE Members save $50 on their AFC Registration fee, plus an additional $50 off their AFC Exam fee!
Note: Offer may not be combined with any other sale, promotion, discount, code, coupon and/or offer.
Symposium isn’t just a professional development event, it’s an experience. Experience the magic of the Symposium while easily earning CEUs. Members receive a special discount to attend the Annual AFCPE® Symposium and there are so many great reasons to attend:
- To Learn: Gain valuable knowledge and resources to better support your clients, students, and communities. Symposium is pre-approved for 15 experience hours.
- To Connect: Share new perspectives, exchange best practices, and expand your network.
- To Grow: Hear from industry experts on the newest research in personal finance and learn how to apply these findings to your work.
Membership Runs on an Anniversary year, providing you with access to all member benefits for a full year. Your membership renewal date will be on the date your membership request is approved.
Membership dues are separate from certification fees. Read AFCPE®’s Refund & Transfer Policy here.
NOTE: AFCPE® membership and certification are completely separate divisions of the organization. While membership offers additional benefits to our certified professionals and provides a community for them to network and share best practices, certification is not required to hold membership. However, if you are interested in also becoming certified, please visit the Certification section of the website. AFCPE® Membership dues are nonrefundable.
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